A three-day Mel Bay Jazz Festival is being planned Sept. 19-21 in De Soto to raise money for the Melba Theatre. Jazz vocalists Erin Bode and Lena Seikaly, along with Larry Bay, a nephew of Mel Bay, and the band, Sugar Moon, all are scheduled to perform.
Jim Thomas, who organized the Frank Wilcox Film Festival in March, is spearheading the first-ever jazz festival.
“It’s named after De Soto’s most famous musician,” Thomas said.
Mel Bay grew up in De Soto and went on to found the Mel Bay publishing industry, based on a series of books teaching people how to play guitar and other instruments. “He’s probably the most famous person to come from this part of the world,” Thomas said.
“We had such a good experience with the Frank Wilcox Film Fest, such a great outpouring of interested people, we are pretty confident people will come out for this also,” Thomas said.
“The big show is Saturday at the Melba with two nationally known jazz vocalists, Erin Bode, who is from St. Louis, and Lena Seikaly, who is from Washington D.C.,” Thomas said. “It’s going to be a big night of jazz.”
■ The festival kicks off Thursday, Sept. 19, with a performance by Larry Bay, nephew of Mel Bay, who will play guitar from 6-9 p.m. at Lorenzo’s Italian Kitchen, 106 S. Main St., De Soto.
■ On Friday, Sept. 20, Fountain City Grille, 207 E. Main St., De Soto, will hold a festival event featuring jazz vocalist Lena Seikaly from 6-9 p.m. Tickets are $45 for a couple or $30 for an individual. The ticket includes the performance, appetizers, a bottle of house wine and commemorative jazz festival wine glasses.
■ The festival continues Saturday, Sept. 21, with an afternoon performance. Sugar Moon, Larry Bay’s group, will perform from 2-5 p.m. at Fountain City Grille.
■ The festival culminates with the Saturday night performance at the Melba Theatre, 300 S. Main St., De Soto.
Music starts with jazz vocalist Lena Seikaly, who will perform from 6-8 p.m. Erin Bode then takes the stage from 8-11 p.m.
In addition to music, the event includes wine tasting and a silent auction. Tickets for Saturday night’s event at the Melba are $30 in advance and $40 the night of the event.
Thomas said the festival will raise money for the Melba Theater’s effort to purchase digital equipment. The upgrade is required for the theater to continue showing new movies.
“We also want to help the venue expand,” Thomas said. “We envision a concert theater for the community. But it really needs to be rehabbed with staging and a sound system and a way to handle bigger events.
“A lot of folks in the community are interested. This is really the kick-off event. You can come in and hear some great music, enjoy some hors de oeuvres and wine tasting and view the plans for what the Melba can be.”
Tickets are available at the Melba and at other locations in De Soto, Hillsboro and Festus. Information also is available online at www.melbayjazzfestival.com.